DEKRA Industrial is proud to announce its 11th consecutive NOSCAR Award, reaffirming its position as a leader in occupational health, safety, and environmental (HSE) excellence. The NOSCAR Award, which is conferred by NOSA (National Occupational Safety Association), is recognised as the highest accolade within the occupational risk management industry. It is granted only to companies which demonstrate the most stringent safety and environmental standards through rigorous audits.
The award ceremony, held in Johannesburg on 27 September 2025, honoured companies on the NOSA Five Star System and Integrated Five Star System, which have achieved excellence during the review period.
Recognition of excellence
The NOSCAR Awards are not easily attained. To qualify, companies must achieve and maintain strict criteria over a three-year period. This includes verification audit scores of over 95%, a disabling injury frequency rate (DIFR) of less than 0.8%, no fatal accidents, no irreversible occupational health diagnoses and no major environmental incidents. In 2025, only 22% of all companies audited by NOSA qualified for this honour, underscoring its prestige.
For DEKRA Industrial, this 11th consecutive win represents more than a decade of consistent dedication, to achieve this level of occupational safety consistency: “Our proudest achievement is that over the last ten years and eight months, we have not recorded a single disabling or lost-time injury,” says Carina Kleinhans, Health Safety and Environment (HSE) Manager at DEKRA Industrial. “That amounts to more than 6.4 million safe hours worked, and it shows the depth of commitment our teams bring to protecting lives every single day.”
A culture of commitment
“Our achievement shows that what we say and what we do is the same thing,” says Johan Gerber, Senior Non-Executive Advisor at DEKRA Industrial. “To be recognised for 11 years in a row, and to be one of only 22% of audited companies internationally to receive this award, is a real privilege! This achievement is a testament to the hard work, dedication and pride our teams take in ensuring every employee goes home safely every day – and is also in line with our parent company DEKRA’s Vision 2025 to be the ‘global partner for a safe, secure and sustainable world’.”
Pivotal to DEKRA Industrial’s success is its employee-driven culture. “Our people are the most important part of our safety journey,” says Kleinhans. “We continuously involve employees in identifying areas of improvement – and create safe spaces where they can voice concerns or provide suggestions. Safety is not just about rules, but about empowering people to care for themselves and for one another. We believe in building a culture where every employee feels valued and part of the bigger picture!”
This inclusive safety culture extends to creative initiatives such as monthly safety themes, interactive workshops and support programmes. These extend beyond safety to cover other aspects, including health-related topics such as cancer awareness and mental health programmes, as well as environmental topics.
“This approach fosters a sense of ownership and reinforces the message that safety extends beyond the workplace to families and communities,” Kleinhans explains.
Beyond compliance
The NOSCAR award is also not just about achieving audit success. Rather, it reflects a mindset of continuous improvement. DEKRA Industrial benchmarks itself internally to ensure year-on-year progress, with 2025 audit scores climbing to 97.98%. This culture of improvement is reinforced by leadership commitment at every level, with branch managers and executives actively participating in weekly safety meetings and initiatives.
Strong safety performance also delivers tangible benefits to DEKRA Industrial’s business relationships. “If a client has a choice between a company with a proven safety record and one without, they will choose the safer partner,” advises Kleinhans. “Our excellent safety record reassures clients that they do not need to teach us about safety; we lead by example. At the same time, we stay humble – always ready to learn and improve.”
Gerber adds: “This recognition is not just a certificate on the wall. It is about building client trust, protecting lives and maintaining the highest standards across industry sectors we work in – many of which are high-risk, where safety is even more critical. Safety and productivity go hand-in-hand, and our systems are designed to make processes easier, more accessible and more effective for everyone involved.”
A benchmark for the future
The NOSCAR awards continue to set the benchmark for protecting lives, the workplace and the environment, locally and internationally. DEKRA Industrial’s impressive record of 11 consecutive wins is a reflection of its unwavering commitment to safety leadership, employee engagement, and operational excellence.
“All life is precious, and the NOSCAR award is more than a trophy. It is a reminder of our collective responsibility for and ownership of safety,” says Kleinhans. “We are very proud of what we have achieved – but even more determined to continue striving for improvement. Our goal is simple: to protect and preserve every life, every day,” she concludes.
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About DEKRA Industrial and DEKRA Institute of Learning
With 100 years in 2025 across many vertical industry sectors through its global parent company, DEKRA Industrial SA has established a formidable reputation as a leader in inspection services, non-destructive testing (NDT), material testing, laboratory services, Advanced NDT, asset integrity services, and NDT inspection and corrosion control with rope access and lifting. The company also offers comprehensive vendor inspection and expediting services, as well as vehicle mapping.
Supported by a proud legacy, and with a local industry track record of over 40 years, DEKRA Industrial RSA stands at the forefront of safety, quality and innovation. Furthermore, by co-locating Dekra Industrial’s services with its adult-based education and occupational skills training division, the Dekra Institute of Learning (IOL), the company now offers a fully integrated, ‘one-stop’ solution: NDT, lifting inspections, vendor certification, vehicle testing and mapping – as well as adult-based education and occupational training – helping businesses maintain regulatory compliance while prioritising workplace safety.
DEKRA Industrial’s adult-based education and occupational skills training division the Institute of Learning (IOL), is QCTO-accredited and delivers online learning across all industries, in public and private sectors. The IOL’s training is pitched at all levels of competency – focusing on HSE, ISO and continuing professional development (CPD)-aligned courses. Classroom-based and distance learning are also available.
DEKRA Industrial’s service portfolio and offering is powerfully integrated, complementary and comprehensive. Rooted in a ‘safety-first’ mindset and driven by process safety awareness, DEKRA Industrial and the IOL offer clients a completely holistic solution.
As part of the DEKRA Global, which has a presence in 60 countries on five continents, DEKRA Industrial RSA provides solutions its holistic service offering across a multitude of industries, including power generation, oil and gas, construction, petrochemical, manufacturing, fabrication, pulp and paper, rail, mining, steel industry and foundries within South Africa and pan-Africa.
DEKRA Industrial SA has 51 percent black woman ownership and has achieved a current overall Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) status of Level 1.
The company is also RD 0034-compliant – a nuclear safety compliance standard – and is one of the few NDT companies locally to hold the ISO 45001:2018 certification; as well as DNV certification, giving Dekra Industrial access to many inspection opportunities in the maritime sector.
As part of DEKRA Global’s SEMEA region, DEKRA Industrial RSA is strategically positioned to offer expanded services across Southern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, including oil-rich markets such as Saudi Arabia.
DEKRA Industrial, together with the IOL, strive to be recognised as the ‘heroes of safety’ and to make a tangible difference to their clients and communities.
